Creativity is one of the most important aspects of human personality. It adds colour to life, and brings excitement through trying new things. However, creativity is a skill, and if we do not practice this skill on a regular basis, we lose or reduce the ability to apply this amazing ability. Consequently, our lives will become boring and dull. Developing the creative part of your brain and engaging the neuron connections in that area, will get your brain more accustomed to exercising them. Thus, you’ll engage your creativity more often in daily life, and turn simple daily actions into fun activities. Being creative makes you happier, wakes up the experimenter within you and generally brings joy into life. Read on for more in 5 Creativity-Boosting Activities to Do in the Lockdown!
KFK and I have put together a selection of creative activities that you can practice in the lockdown, which do not require great skill or any experience. Just pick an activity and try it out! Who knows, one of these just might become your new favourite pastime!
1. Singing
It doesn’t matter if you have a good voice or not. No one will blame you in the lockdown!
Start by singing along to an old favourite, which you more or less know the words of. There is always the option of karaoke too. Don’t be shy, express your emotions. Warning: try not to shout too loud, as that is exactly how you damage your vocal chords, and make your neighbours angry!
2. Dancing
Now this one is super simple, but there are a couple alternative ways to go about it.
A: Turn on the music and let your body decide what to do, how to move and how fast or how gracefully to do it. Choose a song that matches your mood at the time, and it will help you find the right movements.
B: Use zumba or dance workouts on YouTube, and just follow along! Dancing is a great way to move and an amazing way to release endorphins, boost your mood and forget about your problems!
3. Drawing / Colouring
I know a lot of people do not have the talent to draw (I don’t myself), but to our rescue come good old colouring books.
They reduce stress as much as drawing by hand, and at the same time are super-easy to use. Drawing and colouring creates a finished physical piece that you can feel proud of every time you see it for the next few days or weeks.
There is a myriad of colouring books available for all levels from online stores, or even images that you can print out for free, so make use of them.
4. Baking / Cooking
This is one of my personal favourites. Baking is my passion, it helps take my mind off all worries, and experiment in the kitchen.
To let my creativity flow, I usually use two to three recipes and combine the best of them to create my own one. However, I would only recommend this method if you are an experienced cook/baker.
Working with food with your own hands and creating something for yourself and your loved ones brings a sense of pride and the act of serving it up beautifully develops creativity.
5. Writing & Communication: keeping in touch with yourself, your family & friends etc
Not everyone likes writing about their own thoughts. However, writing can express in a vast variety of ways: journalling, creative writing about nature, story-telling, descriptive writing, reviews and much more. Thankfully, there is nothing easier than starting a blog nowadays. If you want to write about an experience, or review products and make that available for people to read – it is easy to do.
Another great way to get yourself into writing and commit to it is to set yourself a small challenge: eg. try 30 new recipes in 30 days, and just document your experience in blog-form. But, you can also simply take a pen and piece of paper and write down what is on your mind and in your heart, if that feels right for you.
Also, especially now, it’s probably more important than ever to reach out to and keep in touch with your family and friends. If you think you might need support in the way of therapy, you can find free online therapy at a place called ReGain.
